• I love your blog so much, but I read something you posted a while ago about it never occurring to you to post something under a false name. Also you mentioned that it could backfire in your personal or occupational life. I would be so terrified of letting someone see that side of me, you know. I mean maybe that could be how I truly am, but imagining someone at job or a class seeing something that personal is crazy to me. I think it takes such endless confidence and resolution to accomplish this. Any thoughts?

Q:I love your blog so much, but I read something you posted a while ago about it never occurring to you to post something under a false name. Also you mentioned that it could backfire in your personal or occupational life. I would be so terrified of letting someone see that side of me, you know. I mean maybe that could be how I truly am, but imagining someone at job or a class seeing something that personal is crazy to me. I think it takes such endless confidence and resolution to accomplish this. Any thoughts?

styks

I have gone back to the very beginning of my asks. This was probably asked 6 months ago.

But! Maybe I’m too trusting? Maybe I just really appreciate honesty, in a way that makes me willing to be vulnerable to complete strangers in the hopes that it will encourage similar honesty. That any sort of honesty could creep off the internet and into real life. You think people hide who they really are only online? We know that’s not true, and yet, it’s so much more socially acceptable, even encouraged, online. Well, fuck that. I need to stay true to me. It’s confusing enough trying to keep track of all that I am and want to be without coming up with fake names and parsing words for the benefit of a bunch of people on the internet.

I don’t want to bullshit people. I’m not that kind of person. Not my jam. Plus I like to share. I like to create personal moments with people. I like creating dialogue with people based on things more personal than the weather, or Katy Perry.

Maybe it takes confidence, certainly takes resolution, definitely takes conviction. But not for everyone! And that’s cool. Not everyone needs to make this sort of sacrifice. And it is a sacrifice (being honest and real online, how insane), because these things can come back to haunt me, sure they can! I really want to be a high school teacher right now, but I can’t be. No high school is going to hire a teacher whose naked body is easily found on the internet. And that’s too bad, because I think I’d be a great high school teacher. I haven’t given up all hope, but I’m doubtful, and if it never happens? I’ll live. I made a choice, I’ll deal with it. I can still be the person I want to be in life. I’ll find a different way to come up with similar results. Maybe better results.

You do you. I do me.